This invention relates to vehicle theft prevention systems, and more particularly relates to such systems which incorporate a means for disabling the vehicle as well as an alarm.
Although many systems have been devised in the past for raising an alarm when a burglar attempts to gain entry to a vehicle, each of these systems has exhibited disadvantages which have limited its usefulness. For example, the known prior systems do not provide a means for automatically disabling an ignition system of a vehicle. Moreover, unauthorized entry to the vehicle normally triggers the alarm immediately, so that the operator must disarm the alarm from outside the vehicle. The location of the disarming switch outside the vehicle increases the chances that a thief will be able to avoid the alarm.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved theft prevention system in which the ignition system of a vehicle is automatically disabled when the operator leaves the vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved vehicle burglar alarm system in which the sounding of the alarm is delayed if a door is opened, so that the alarm can be disarmed from inside the vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system of the foregoing type in which unauthorized entry to the vehicle results in the vehicle headlamps being alternately flashed on and off.